At the 2012 CAC Women’s Cross Country championships, Mary Washington and York each had three runners among the top seven across the finish line.  The teams finished just six points apart in the final standings, with the Eagles emerging with the championship trophy for the first time in five years.

The Spartans will be one of 10 teams, featuring more than 100 competitors, vying for team and individual honors at the CAC Championship Meet, to be held at Winter Place Park in Salisbury, Md.    The women’s championship race begins at 11 a.m., followed by the men’s chase at noon.

The UMW duo of senior Tara Landy and sophomore Lauren Braney are the defending CAC Athlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.   Coach Stan Soper is hoping they’ll again lead the Eagles to the top of the pack.

Juniors Jess Miller and Carolyn Delaney return to lead the YCP women’s team, which posted its best team finish in conference championship history in 2012.   York scored 35 points in the team standings, trailing just UMW (29).

Salisbury placed third last year with 70 points and hopes to improve on its home course this year.  The CAC also added three new members, including 2012 USA South Conference champion Christopher Newport, and boasts several individual runners who could shake up the standings at the top.

Here is a quick look at each team heading into the 2013-14 CAC Championship race:

CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT enters its first CAC Championship meet following a strong showing in the regular season. The Captains finished in the top-two during five of their six competitions, including victories at the ODAC Preview Meet, CNU Settler’s Invitational and Captain Chris Invitational.  Freshman Emmie Schmitt has posted the squad’s top time in five competitions this season, while fellow first-year standout Briana Stewart has also come on strong throughout the year.  Among returners, Jessica McClelland and Lydia Cromwell have led the way for the Captains.

FROSTBURG STATE enters the CAC Championships with a young team that will be led by a freshman and junior that have been the Bobcats’ top two finishers all season. Freshman Casey Columbus will battle for All-CAC honors and posted a season-best effort of 26:18.7 at Gettysburg two weeks ago. Junior Bryn Allston enters her third league championship with a season-best time of 27:15.4.

MARY WASHINGTON will look to retain its grip on the CAC Championship, and with the past two CAC runners of the Year in Tara Landy and Liz Green, as well as reigning CAC Rookie of the Year in Lauren Braney, UMW carries a strong squad into this year's meet. Veterans Trinity Smyth, Sam Park and Colleen Boyle also look to fare well for the Eagles, who have won 14 CAC crowns, and never finished lower than second at the race.

MARYMOUNT hopes to build on its fifth place finish in 2012.  The Saints are led by freshman and three-time CAC Player of the Week Melissa Teeple, who has not finished worse than second the entire season after a 12th place showing in her collegiate debut.  Alongside Teeple, freshman Elizabeth Long and Payton Bodecker consistently pace the Blue and White throughout this 2013 campaign.

PENN STATE HARRISBURG has shown steady improvement throughout the season.  The Lions have used a fluid roster this season which has helped them to compete in every match.   Senior Alisha House and Freshman Rachel Sechrist have been leaders on and off the field.  Both House and Sechrist hope to finish their successful seasons with quality finishes at the CAC championships.

ST. MARY’S finally broke into the top half of the team standings last year and will push for a higher finish in 2013 behind the experienced leadership of team captains Keighly Bradbrook and Michelle DiMenna as well as Emily Plum. Plum; Bradbrook, a CAC Runner of the Week honoree; and DiMenna, a 2011 CAC All-Star; have led the Seahawks to three top-5 finishes this season and hope to carry that momentum into Saturday's championship meet.

SALISBURY will be looking for its ninth CAC championship and fifth in the last six years on its home course.  The Sea Gulls won the title in 2006 and 2010, the last two times they hosted the championship.  Salisbury has been led during the 2013 season by junior Kira Polimeni.  Polimeni has been Salisbury’s top finisher in three of its four meets this season, including two top-10 finishes.  Freshman Anna Van Zeijts  was Salisbury’s first runner across the line in the Sea Gulls’ most recent meet.  Salisbury has gotten great contribution from a host of runners, led by junior Olivia Cloud,  senior Michele Stromberg, sophomores Laura Hartman, Becky Early and Samantha Lucas.

Battling injuries all season, SOUTHERN VIRGINIA has organized a strategy to put together a complete team for the CAC Championships. Due to ailments, the squad managed a four-person team at the Christopher Newport Invitational and York (Pa.) meet and just three last weekend at the Gettysburg Invitational. Senior Kera Macfarlane-Nielson has led the team in the three races she has competed in with a season-best 5k time of 21:18.6 at the Christopher Newport Invitational on Oct. 12. Freshman Rebecca Lords has been a consistent second runner for the Knights as she has finished behind Nielson in three races this season and placed first for the team in the two meets Nielson did not compete in.  She is coming off a personal-best 6k time of 26:17.6.

Note:  As a second-year NCAA Division III provisional member, Southern Virginia is not eligible for the CAC team championship/standings.  However, the Knights student-athletes are eligible for all CAC individual awards.  Southern Virginia will be eligible for team recognition in all sports beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.

With an all-freshman lineup, led by New Castle, Del., native Dieunise Desir, WESLEY’s women’s cross country team should improve on last season’s seventh place performance.  Desir, as well as Shannon Moody and the Reese twins, Alexus Reese and Miata Reese, have all run top ten times for the Wolverines and should all improve once again in what could possibly be their final meet of the Fall season. Classmates Elizabeth Moyna and Jada Tinch will also be in the mix to score points for Wesley.

YORK has continued to push themselves towards the top of the CAC and this year could be the season they break through for a championship. York is paced by returning All-CAC first teamer Jess Miller as she placed third overall in 2012. Fellow junior Caroline DeLany is York's other top performer as she was also a first team finisher for the Green and White. If York is able to push towards a championship, sophomore Jenna Roberts, freshman Alicia Dillman and Kasey Fogelsanger will need to each have strong performances.